The Cobblestone Customization
by bigbangenthusiast
Summary: Sheldon and Amy prepare for their pet's first Halloween.


**A/N: I received a request from a guest reviewer to write a story based on one of the Shamy wish list items for season 12 on the forum. Season 12 has already started, so I apologize for the lateness of this story. I chose to go with something I didn't think we would see on the show. It's a little silly, but I hope you enjoy!**

Amy rocked back on her heels from her crouched position. "Remind me again why we thought this was a good idea."

Sheldon blew out a breath. "In theory it was an excellent idea to create a cobblestone costume for a supposedly docile pet. I had no idea turtles move so much. Whoever said turtles are slow and steady has obviously never been around them." Sheldon stretched his arm and caught the wandering creature. "Hold still, Giuseppe."

He attempted to trace an outline around the turtle's body onto the tracing paper spread across the living room floor. He got halfway from his head to his tail when the reptile decided to turn around and run for it.

Amy reached for their pet this time. Setting him back on the paper, she held him gently in place. "Who's a good boy?" She cooed.

Giuseppe blinked then squirmed under her hand. She lifted her fingers, and he made a dash under the coffee table.

"Amy!"

"I couldn't just hold him there. He's a free spirit."

"Free spirit," Sheldon snorted. "He's a turtle not a hippie."

Amy rolled her eyes. It wasn't worth it to argue over something so silly, so she let it slide. The important thing was getting Giuseppe out from under the furniture and back safely in his aquarium. She peeked between the wooden legs. The turtle was seated in the exact middle of the table.

"Oh, sure. Now he sits still," she muttered.

Snaking her hand underneath, she attempted to grab him, but as if sensing her intentions, he moved just out of reach. "He's near you now."

Sheldon put his finger to his lips and slowly reached under the coffee table. The moment his fingertips made contact with Giuseppe's shell, the creature scurried under the couch.

"Oh, dear Lord!" He shifted onto his belly and peered under it. "I can't see him. It's too dark under here."

Amy shone her phone into the space, angling it until the light found its target. Squinting, the turtle drew his head into his shell. Sheldon stretched but couldn't quite reach.

"Poor thing. Maybe we should wait for him to come out on his own."

"But, Amy, that could be hours from now. Halloween is approaching, and we're already behind schedule."

"A few hours won't make much difference." Amy studied the partial outline on the tracing paper. "And maybe we won't even have to wait. I think we have enough data to complete the outline."

"Disagree. If we can't get a complete outline, we would at least need to know the length and width of his shell to calculate the circumference." Sheldon rubbed his chin. "Perhaps we can coax him out with food, and I can take some quick measurements while he's occupied."

"It's worth a try."

Amy lifted the tiny bowl from the aquarium, filling it with fresh, chopped carrots, while Sheldon retreived his tape measure. Kneeling next to the couch, they waited. And waited. Fifteen minutes later, a tiny green head poked out. They held their breaths as their pet cautiously crawled to his awaiting meal.

Sheldon slowly unraveled the measuring tape. Giuseppe stopped chewing, twisted his head toward the rustling, then resumed eating. Moving ever so slightly toward him, Sheldon hovered the tape close enough to get an accurate measurement but not quite close enough to touch.

"Now to get the perfect fit, we need to calculate the angle of his shell."

When all the calculations were done, Amy set to work on the costume. Giuseppe fled at the whir of the sewing machine, choosing to hide beneath the couch again. He resurfaced just as the humans were inspecting the tiny outfit but began backing away as they drew nearer.

"Gotcha!" Sheldon cheered when he scooped up the reptile.

Amy slipped the fabric over his head and tugged. "Umm... We have a slight problem."

"What's wrong?"

"His shell is too tall to fit."

"That's impossible. I did the math... Uh oh."

"Uh oh what?"

"I measured the length and width in inches, but I think I may have used the metric side of the tape to measure the height. Good thing we have enough fabric left to start over."

"Sheldon, I'm tired. Maybe we should think of something simpler, something that doesn't require any measuring or sewing. It was difficult enough the first time to get him to stay still."

"We can consult a tailor, someone who's used to fidgeting subjects, such as small children."

"A fidgeting child isn't the same as an animal. We just need to face the fact that turtles don't make good cobblestones."

Sheldon sighed. "I suppose you're right." He removed the fabric from the turtle and set him in the aquarium.

Amy observed her husband as he stared at Giuseppe through the glass, his brow furrowed. Suddenly his eyes widened, and he turned to her with the look he always got when he had one of his brilliant ideas.

"I've got it! Or rather, the fabric store's got it. Wouldn't Giuseppe make the perfect Donatello?"

"The fabric store? Donatello? Sheldon, what are you rambling about?"

"We can buy a small piece of purple fabric to make a tiny mask, Donatello's color." At Amy's confused expression, he clarified. "Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I chose him because he's skilled as a scientist, an inventor..."

"Sheldon..."

"...technological genius..."

"Sheldon..."

"What's wrong?"

"In theory, a mask sounds like a great idea. It's simple, wouldn't require much measuring..." Amy paused.

"But?"

"How would we get it to stay without squishing his head?"

"Do you have any other costume suggestions?"

Amy shook her head.

Sheldon's shoulders sagged. "But I was really looking forward to preparing him for his first Halloween with us."

Placing her hand on her husband's back, Amy rubbed gently. "Me too."

She led him to the couch and offered a cup of tea, which he gladly accepted. They sipped their beverages in companionable silence, knees touching. When Sheldon finished the last drop, he leaned back against the cushions.

"Do you feel better?"

"A little, but I'm still disappointed our plan failed," he admitted.

"I know this probably will be little consolation, but one day we'll have children we can dress up. We can buy ready-made costumes or at least find patterns at the fabric store if we want to get a little more creative."

Sheldon stood, took his wife's hand, and pulled her up.

"Where are we going?"

"To the bedroom for some vigorous lovemaking, if you're up for it."

"Really? Now?"

"If we conceive today, by this time next year, we'll have a 3-month-old to take trick or treating. I know we were planning to wait until after New Year's before trying, but maybe we can get a head start."

"That does sound nice. To the bedroom!"


End file.
